Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis is keeping busy during the NFL’s offseason.
The 35-year-old, who has spent 13 years in the league, is starring in a new film about Bass Reeves, the first black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. Davis plays former slave Columbus Johnson, who helped get other slaves to freedom.
“Columbus wants to make a difference in the world. And he’ll do whatever he can to help get these people from the South, over to Kansas,” Davis tells PEOPLE of his character. “He’s tough; he’s a tough individual. He’ll do whatever he has to do to protect himself, protect his people. And he’s just a great dude.”
Davis filmed his scenes last month in Alabama, and the film — which also stars Frank Grillo, Ron Perlman, Zahn McClarnon and David Gyasi — will be released later this year.
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“I love television, and I love being out there and competing — I say competing because acting is a challenge,” he explains. “It’s definitely a challenge, and you’re competing with so many people that have aspirations, and just who set goals for themselves to be really good at it.”
Vernon Davis.Mitchell Layton/Getty
He continues: “So you’re competing, you’re trying to be the best you can possibly be. And one thing I like about acting in general, is that when you’re out there, especially if you’re doing your own stunt, or just trying to just do the best you can to win that character over.”
But Davis hasn’t put football entirely on to the sidelines as he’s concentrated on the film — he attendedSuper Bowl LIIIin Atlanta to watchTom Bradyand New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams for the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 3.
That night, he was able to see history made, albeit, not the kind anyone was expecting.
“It was pretty boring in the beginning,” Davis says of the game, which ended up being the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history. “Until they got started making plays, every once in a while you’d get a good play. But yeah, it wasn’t one of those high scoring games that we’ve seen throughout the playoffs.”
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“I know one thing for sure, two things for certain is that if you’re going to play that long, you have to start taking care of yourself the beginning,” Davis, who recently launched a supplement company, Timeless, says. “You can’t wait, as far as taking care of yourself mentally, and physically. You’re going to do those things from the beginning of time, all the way until the end of your career.”
As he pursues new ventures, Davis wants others to know that it’s never too late for them to go after their passions — as long as they put in the work.
“You put the time into it. You do your very best. Be the best you can be. And that’s how life is in general, just like with everything else,” he says. “Whether you want to be an accountant or if you want to be an actor. You just have to put that time in, the time and energy in to be as good as you can possibly be.”
source: people.com
